Ink Stained Sand
by Nightmare Sired Muse
Summary: Fate is cruel to even the most fortunate of people, but for those born of sacrifice, she is a blade whose searing bite never lessens or dulls. A fact Naruto knows all too well, or so he'd assumed. Gifted with a second chance in a place that is as familiar as it is foreign, he'll protect her with a will even the Earth is unable to resist. Discontinued


Summary: Fate is cruel to even the most fortunate of people, but for those born of sacrifice, she is a blade whose searing bite never lessens or dulls. A fact Naruto knows all too well, or so he'd assumed. Gifted with a second chance in a place that is as familiar as it is foreign, he'll protect her with a will even the Earth is unable to resist. Fuinjutsu/Ichibi-Naruto Kyuubi/Older/Naruko

Pairing: Naruto / older Naruko / with the _slim_ possibility of one other

AN: Here we go…

Beta: onlytoask. A huge thank you for all your help.

Ink Stained Sand

Chapter One: _Playing with Sand_

Loss.

Never before had such a simple term resonated so strongly with Uzumaki Naruto.

He, like all shinobi before him, knew the keen sting that was the loss of a loved one to the life of sin and sacrifice all shinobi subscribed too. His jiji, the Sandaime Hokage, had been ripped from the world of the living, robbing Naruto of the chance to say goodbye to his surrogate grandfather, and to express how much his presence, and all he had done for him, a trouble making orphan, had truly meant to the blond.

It was, he once lamented years later, the cruelest twist the sadist known as fate had thrown at him.

It was only now, as he stood bathed in the shadows lining the edge of the forest that encompassed the academy training grounds, that he realized how wrong he had been.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, a man known the world over as "Shinobi no Kami" had lived a long, full life. He had survived numerous battles, including three terrible wars that had irrevocably scarred the face of the earth, and had ascended to the coveted title of Hokage: the most powerful shinobi in all of Hi no Kuni. He had met and fallen in love with a women who no one could deny was his soul mate; together, they watched as their children grew and went on to thrive and have success in their own shinobi careers. And as true as it may have been that Hiruzen had faced a great deal of hardships during his impressive lifetime and tenor as the Sandaime, he had also been blessed in ways many would never be fortunate enough to experience.

The same, unfortunately, could not be said for Sabaku no Gaara, Naruto's brother in sacrifice.

The teen had suffered terribly during his childhood, more so even than Naruto, who even after reaching adulthood had continued to feel the weight of his past. Whereas Naruto had the Hokage, the Ichiraku, Iruka, and later on in life, his teammates to stand by his side, Gaara had been denied even a fraction of his peace. The betrayals of his past, the scorn and constant fear his village and, worse, his siblings held for him all served as continuous reminders that in the eyes of those around him he wasn't a human. To them, his family and fellow villagers alike, he was little more than a demon whose existence came at the cost of the village's peace and his mother's life.

It was only later, after Gaara had struggled against the prejudice of Suna's populace and his fellow shinobi's distrust, that his determination was rewarded—that they gave him what he had always craved: acknowledgment. And though it had been hard fought for and a long time in the making, Suna rejoiced at his being named their leader—their Godaime Kazekage.

But as it so often is for those who lead a life as sword and shield for their homelands, his newly found peace—the joy his people's acceptance brought him—was to be short lived.

Despite growing far stronger than he had been during his initial fight with the blond who had changed his outlook on life for the better, Gaara had been captured by the organization known as Akatsuki—a group comprised entirely of S-class nukenin, whose sole purpose was the capture of all the Bijuu. Weakened from his battle with but one of Akatsuki's number, and unable to fight to his full potential for fear of his peoples' safety, Gaara had been left with only one viable option: allow himself to be taken captive. His only hope for survival being that someone would come to his aid.

His would-be saviors had come in the form of Naruto and a team of Konoha shinobi. But despite their frenzied haste to reach him in time, their efforts had been proven futile.

They had arrived too late.

Naruto had been the first to enter the cave where his friend had been taken, and as a result was the first to witness the sight of Gaara's lifeless form suspended rigidly above ten shadowy figures and a colossal, monstrous statue, his body shrouded in a thick, poisonous aura that made Naruto want to choke just looking at it.

The macabre sight and the certainty that his best friend, the only person who he could truly relate to was dead were the last things he registered before his mind went blank, his consciousness surrendering to his anguish. And through that heartache the thinly veiled anger and sorrow he had spent a majority of his life suppressing surfaced, bringing with it the blood lust he had tried so hard to restrain since he had first made contact with his tenant's corrosive chakra.

Naruto was unceremoniously pulled from his tormented musings by the dull thud of a kunai impacting upon wood off in the distance. His trained ears automatically identified what he had been too preoccupied to see. As it had numerous times over the course of the past hour, one of the many academy provided kunai sunk deep into the pitted surface of the target the class of final year students were using for target practice. A class Naruto knew all too well. He had, after all, been a part of their number only three years prior.

Upon waking up, a devastated Naruto had been clueless as to how the impossible had taken place. But any form of doubt he had about his situation died away as he gazed upon the chibified individuals of teams Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi, along with all the rest of their graduating class. One moment he had been enshrouded in the Kyuubi's vile chakra, wreaking havoc upon the only two members of Akatsuki who were present within the hideout and the large, ominous statue they had used to rip the Ichibi from Gaara, then the next he had awoken all alone and back in his apartment all the way in Konoha. So strong was his grief and the typhoon of loaded emotions that at first he had failed to comprehend how impossible cross-country teleportation was. It wasn't until much later, about the same time he realized he was once more as short as he had been before he left on his trip with his perverted godfather, that he began to understand how outlandish his predicament was.

Inexplicable as it was, considering the life altering situation he found himself in, Naruto was powerless to fight the bubble of laughter that escaped him as he watched Akamaru, at the encouragement of his snickering master, lift his leg on a sleeping Shikamaru. Sending a final smirk at the now cursing Nara, Naruto took off, leaving the academy and his classmates behind. It was funny how his friends, former sensei, and even someone as astute as his jiji could be unaware of something so… _major_.

It was at this line of thinking that Naruto came to an abrupt halt, unaware of the petrified stares those occupying the busy street were sending his way as they tripped over one another in their hast to flee. His hands trembled with unrestrained excitement as the realization of what this unexpected turn of events truly meant. His jiji, the Sarutobi Hiruzen, was alive! Gaara was alive! He could save his redheaded friend from being taken by Akatsuki, stop the invasion that had resulted in his jiji's death before it ever began, and could even stop Haku and Zabuza from being used and betrayed by Gato. There was so much he could change now that he had knowledge of what was to come. It was only the small shred of common sense that Jiraiya had pounded into his head during their travels that stopped the overly excited blond from rushing back to the Hokage's wing of the academy and spilling his guts about what all he knew.

With a wide grin stretched across his features, Naruto continued on to his destination, clueless to the fact that his mere presence had been enough to completely clear a crowded market street during its midday rush.

Though he had mostly adjusted to the change of perspective his reduction in height left him with, only stumbling here and there when he wasn't paying as close attention to where he was going as he should have been, it still took him the better part of an hour to reach his desired destination. Panting slightly from having traveled so far on his now short legs, he gazed tiredly up at the large, gated compound before him.

"The Namikaze… Uzumaki compound," he panted to himself, eyeing the heavy, wooden gate that barred _all_ of Konohagakure from entering… all but him—that was, if what Jiraiya had told him about his parents was true. If the sannin had been playing some kind of cruel prank, which after some of those Naruto had pulled on the man wouldn't have come as a surprise. Then, however, time travel or not, Naruto could end up dying a very unpleasant death.

All of Konoha knew of the horror stories of shinobi attempting to breach the Yondaime's and his deceased wife's property only to meet a grizzly, agonizing end. Or of the civilians who had ventured too close to the high reaching walls in venture of a memento of their beloved hero, never to draw breath again…

The more the young jinchuuriki thought about it, the less likely it became that his eccentric godfather would put him in such danger, all in the name of petty, wholly extreme revenge. Throw him off a cliff to teach him to summon toads, sure. Make him a scapegoat when he was caught being his normal perverted self, more times than Naruto dared admit. But sending him to his death was a whole different story. Naruto only wished he had taken the time to test whether or not he could truly access the property before they had been called off to aid Suna.

Sending a furtive glance down the lane, he was unsurprised to see the area was deserted with the exception of himself. The closest clan to live in the immediate area was the Kurama clan, a once prominent clan of genjutsu users whose prosperity had declined greatly in recent generations. Other than their almost nonexistent presence, the only compound in reasonable distance was the deserted Senju clan. And seeing as Tsunade had yet to return to the village (though, hopefully the catalyst of her return this time around would be less morbid), it was reasonable to expect privacy as he threw himself toward his possible death.

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered to himself, as he crossed the distance between him and the entrance.

Unsure as to what to expect, the pre-teen hesitantly placed his palm against the cool surface of the gate. When nothing happened, much to his relief (he really didn't want to die), he began to trace his hand across its smooth surface, absently marveling the fine craftsmanship as he searched for any form of seal or locking mechanism that might be hidden.

"How the hell am I supposed to get in?" he mumbled, stepping back after having failed to locate a way inside. Even he wasn't stupid enough to try and gain entry by scaling the wall, and something told him trying to dig his way in would be just as moronic, if not as fatal. "Where's that Ero-baka when you need his lazy ass?"

Growing impatient after a time in which he had learned little more than the fact his parents hadn't spared any expense on the, admittedly, impressive gate's creation, the young Uzumaki sent a frustrated kick in its direction, an attempt more to blow off steam than actually gaining entry. However, his annoyance, working in tandem with his worse than ever chakra control that his current body offered, had him reinforcing the muscles of his leg and the force behind the blow with chakra.

Fully aware that assaulting the entrance with unimpressive taijutsu strikes would do little more than cause him to sprain something important, Naruto made to push off of the gate, intent on coming back and trying again another day. His retreat, however, was brought to a sudden and crashing halt as he tripped, falling straight on his rear, his sandaled foot refusing to break its contact with the gate.

"What the…" Naruto, the sole of his sandal keeping him attached to the gate at an angle that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer he maintained it, attempted to free his foot with little success. Every time he believed the gate's hold on him to be lessening, he was proven wrong by a severe lack of freedom. It wasn't until he attempted to break contact by using an overabundance of chakra, as he had done when first learning the tree walking exercise, that he came to realize his mistake. Through the contact of his foot, the gate had begun syphoning a constant stream of his chakra, which had only increased the amount it was draining after his attempt to blast off using his chakra.

Obscenities accenting his each strike, Naruto unleashed a barrage of panic fueled kicks with his free foot. Thankfully, in his quickly escalating fear, Naruto had the sense of mind to withstand the urge to reinforce his blows with chakra. The last thing he needed now was to have both feet adhered to the chakra stealing gate.

Growing desperate as he began to tire from the drain on his reserves, which, with the abundance of chakra the Kyuubi allotted him, was worrisome, to say the least, he withdrew the blunted kunai that all academy students were gifted with at the beginning of each school year, intent on cutting his sandal off on the off chance he could gain his freedom that way. But before he could ever poise the training weapon, Naruto suddenly found himself once more falling backwards, this time with his leg free and the gate, which had effectively trapped him, giving off a bone rattling creek as it swung open for the first time in close to thirteen years.

His leg close to cramping and heavy from exhaustion, Naruto laid on his back, staring stupidly up at the entrance. Slowly his body began to tremble with a soft chuckling that soon enough had transcended into full blown laughter that had him rolling around on the dusty cobbled streets that lined the better part of the roadways that winded through Konohagakure's clan district. Pushing tiredly onto his knees, he gazed teary eyed up at the Namikaze-Uzumaki clan grounds. The feeling of acceptance he felt when faced with proof of his linage was something that he had never before had the pleasure of experiencing.

He was home.

Raising to his full, unimpressive height, dusting off his clothing that for some odd reason were different than what he had ever worn the first time around, he faced the entrance with a determined expression that only Uzumaki _Namikaze_ Naruto could muster. Deeming himself adequately clean, he eagerly crossed the threshold of the property, his excitement bubbling over as he was once and for all going to see the place his mother and father called home, validation that at one point he did indeed have a family.

What he had been expecting, even Naruto was unsure. What did the home of Kage look like? Would there be motes, filled with a number of ruthless creatures just waiting for an intruder to encroach upon their master's privacy? Perhaps deadly traps and complex puzzles one would have to solve and bypass before they could travel further would be present. However, what he hadn't expected was to find himself standing before a traditional mansion that wasn't all that different than what the main Hyuga and Uchiha families would reside in. It never crossed his mind that he would find unkempt and overrun foliage and meditation gardens that had seen better days setting on the edge of koi ponds filled with murky water that its inhabitants could never survive in.

It was beautiful, hauntingly so. More so, even in its current state of disarray, than the lands belonging to the Hyuga or the almost extinct Uchiha. It was exactly the type of place one would want to raise a family. Where Naruto would have loved to have grown up learning from his parents and, as time had passed, helping teach those same lessons to his brothers and sisters… And all of its tainted beauty brought Naruto as much joy as it did heart-wrenching sorrow.

Standing before the dank waters of the lifeless pond, Naruto took a deep, calming breath, steading his nerves. He didn't want his first encounter with the home his parents had shared to be further tainted by his personal angst. The lands before him, his home and that of the future generations of Uzumaki and Namikaze, would once more resemble what it had during the days of his mother and father's time spent here, he'd see to it himself. Leaving it in such a state was as disrespectful to the property as it was his parents' memories.

However, all good things, even those born of the grimmest of situations, must come to an end. Some more abruptly than others. His serene state of mind and the resolve that came with it to restore his home to its former glory were no different.

Eyes trained on the still waters at his feet, Naruto had been unexpecting of any form of distraction here of all places, where no one other than himself could safely venture. It was for this reason that he had been unprepared for the blood curdling scream to rent the air.

As if time itself was willing to do the impossible for him twice in a single day, everything around him slowed to a speed that allowed him to take in every minute detail of his surroundings as he spun in place. Even with his adrenalin induced speed and ability to comprehend at a heightened rate, he was only just able to catch sight of a blanked-masked ANBU contorting in obvious agony just beyond the gate's entrance as the wooden structure swung close of its own accordance. The kanji for ROOT filled Naruto's mind's eye, and was all he could see as he tried and failed to comprehend exactly what had just happened.

As focused as he was on the masked man's bleak fate, somehow realizing that something had been off about the ANBU despite his fleeting glance of him, it was unsurprising that Naruto lost his footing upon the damp edge lining the pond. His mind a maelstrom of conflicting emotions, Naruto only had time to brace himself for a painful collision with the smooth rocks he had been standing upon. But for reasons that were beyond him at the moment his painful landing never came.

Absently noting the masked man's sudden lack of screams, Naruto hesitantly opened his eyes in search of the cause of his non-abrasive landing. What greeted him was quite literally the last thing he had expected. Cradling him protectively from the rocks and water below was a wide body of levitating sand. More than a little confused, Naruto began frantically searching the property for the only individual he knew who could control sand in such a manner.

"Gaara?" he called out, sounding hopeful even to his own ears. Frantically giving what he could see of the property a once over, the sand returned him steadily to his feet. "Did you get sent back too?! Where are you, man?"

With nothing but silence answering his calls, Naruto gave an irritated growl as he began going about his search.

"Damn it, Gaara, what's going on?! Where are you?!"

Having circled the entirety of the property, only to receive an impromptu tour that yielded no sign of his friend, Naruto made his way to the closest entrance, hoping to find the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. It was as he was reaching for the sliding door, its paper lining faded and fragile from years of disuse, that he came to realize that something was very wrong.

The acidic taste of bile coating the back of his tongue, Naruto clumsily grasped for the wall as a debilitating lightheadedness, the likes of which he hadn't encountered since Jiraiya had force-fed him enough sake to drop Tsunade on her ass ten times over, overtook him. Vision swimming and his legs feeling weak, he failed to judge the placement of his hand, placing his full weight upon the all too fragile door. The sound of tearing paper and snapping wood filled his head as he tumbled forward, but as it had the last time he had fallen, the cradle of sand was there to save him, cocooning him protectively as it lowered him to the floor.

Mumbling incoherently into the sand, as his head had become too cumbersome to lift from his makeshift bed, he vainly attempted to fight off the unconsciousness that threatened to overtake him.

It was to the fluttering of his eyelids that Naruto found his way back from his sudden bout of dizziness. Blinking the last dregs of confusion from his mind, he slowly raised up from his bed of sand, peering inquisitively at the world around him. In what had been only moments, to his own perspective, the presence of the midday sun had diminished considerably. Long, heavy shadows lent way to a darkness that was reminiscent of the stillest hours of the night. Vaguely wondering if he had dozed off without realizing it, he cast his gaze about the entrance of his home, only to come to the sudden realization that he wasn't where he had fallen.

Naruto sneered as he took in the sight of the rounded, high reaching ceiling of the too familiar for comfort sewer. The musty, damp scent succeeded in causing his head to swim as he trailed the rusty, leaking pipes lining the walls with his gaze. Muttering darkly about "damned foxes," Naruto made to step forward, intent on going in search of the bane of his existence, but stopped as his foot sunk ever so slightly into the floor below. Glancing down, expecting to be faced with the normally flooded stone floor, he instead found nothing but sand. A quick glance in either direction showed the entirety of the tunnel to be in similar state, much to the blond's bewilderment.

Taking a few deep breaths to still his rapidly pounding heart, he cautiously made his way forward, the mysterious appearance of Gaara's sand and his impromptu trek backwards through time warring for dominance over his thoughts. The longer he was present in this time the more unnerving his situation became. Upon first waking the only difference to his person that he had noted, besides the fact he had been de-aged by close to three years, was the slight lengthening of his hair, which was about the same length as his father had worn his own, but vastly more haphazard in style as if he had taken to cutting it himself, and the change of his clothing from his favorite orange jumpsuit to a simple pair of charcoal colored shorts and a hooded, flat-black, long-sleeved shirt that clung uncomfortably (when compared to his normal style of dress) to his thin form. Other than these small changes, if his memory served him correctly, there hadn't been any other apparent alterations to the timeline. But as he trekked further into the snaking, sand embedded tunnels in search of his furry prisoner, Naruto couldn't help but feel a deep unease creeping up his spine.

What had changed since the last time he had been dragged within to be glared at by the nine tailed behemoth, excluding the abundance of sand now present, he didn't know. What was apparent, however, was that he was drawing closer to his intended destination. Gradually as he had traveled, the sand at his feet had become increasingly damp, until the point that he was now trudging through what was little more than mud.

"As if this place wasn't enough of a dump," Naruto grumbled, giving a sharp shake of his foot, pointlessly ridding it of the muck that surrounded him. He had only taken a few steps forward before simultaneous roars split the air. The monstrous cries of rage and anguish were punctuated by an earth shaking rumble that sent him careening painfully into the wall.

Shakily regaining his footing, Naruto ran the rest of the distance to the wide antechamber where he knew the Kyuubi to be sealed. What haunting sight met him would be ingrained in his memory for the rest of his days.

Instead of finding himself before a giant fox sealed within an equally as impressive cage, it was as if Naruto had stumbled into the heartlands of Suna's vast deserts. Dunes of sand stretched as far as the eye could see, their rolling hills marred by a wetness that no desert had ever witnessed. And off in the distance, what was visible of its sun-eclipsing height easily outstripping that of the Hokage Monument, was a partially buried hourglass that could only have been crafted by the hands of a god.

Understandably so, Naruto felt his mind blank at the heart stopping sight, unable to fully comprehend the extreme change before him. It wasn't until he was able to look past the sheer magnitude of the structure's size that he was able to perceive what was transpiring within. Residing within the top chamber, his snarling maw snapping menacingly as it unleashed waves upon waves of sand onto the beast that resided in the lower chamber, was the beast that had cruelly made Gaara believe it was his mother for so long, Shukaku, the one tailed bijuu. More surprising than the inexplicable presence of the Ichibi was that of the Kyuubi trapped beneath it in the lower chamber.

Even as Naruto watched, his presence insignificant to both beasts, the fox struggled to keep its head from submerging in the rapidly rising sand while dodging the Ichibi's continued onslaught. Flashing its rows of snapping, deadly teeth, the nine-tailed bijuu, in what was becoming an increasingly futile effort, lashed viciously up at the single-tailed beast with strikes from its claws and tails that would have made short work of even the sturdiest of mountains.

"_**MINE! MINE! ALL OF YOU SHALL BE MINE**__!"_ Accentuating its declaration, the Ichibi continued its rain of vicious blows, funneling as much of its element onto the struggling vulpine-entity. _"__**NO ONE WILL EVER AGAIN DOUBT MY SUPERIORITY!"**_

Naruto collapsed to his knees, clenching painfully at his ears. His desperation displayed clearly upon his features for all to see, he vainly attempted to lessen the pain of being exposed to the Ichibi's curdling screams, its voice a harrowing mixture of metal being shaved and the innocence one could only find in the young and the most twistedly insane.

"_**DIE! DIE! DIE!**__"_ chanted the homicidal creature, punctuating each cry with another strike. By now most of the Kyuubi was submerged, with only just its demonic eyes and long, deadly snout visible. _"__**ALL THAT IS YOURS WILL SOON BE MINE!**__"_

Naruto watched the macabre sight with a morbid fascination, his hands maintaining their iron grasp upon his ears.

Giving one last piteous, unearthly shriek, the last of the Kyuubi disappeared beneath a coffin of sand. There was only a fraction of a second where Naruto had been foolish enough to believe that it was all over. His naivety was quickly crushed as the Ichibi gave a victorious roar, cackling insanely as it thrashed wildly about within its glass prison.

"_**YOU MAY NOT BE THE GENUINE ARTICLE, YOU RABBIT-EARRED BASTARD, BUT YOUR POWER AND ORIGIN ARE IDENTICAL TO HIS!**__"_ Naruto watched with a growing sense of unease as the markings upon the creatures body began to melt away, trekking down its robust form and onto the surface of the unimaginably large bundle of sand that was the encased Kyuubi.

Like living ink, the Ichibi's markings swirled dizzyingly across the sand, creating one unimaginably complex seal array after another. Even if Naruto had known anything about fūinjutsu it would have been highly unlikely that he would have been able to decipher any of the brief flashes of complicated arrays. As it were, all he could do was kneel helplessly in the sand and watch as the, _supposedly_, most feral and mindless of the nine bijuu effortlessly created seal clusters that even his father and godfather would have been left clueless as to what their purpose was.

Belligerently exuberant as ever, the beast's body began to dissipate within the higher chamber of the hourglass, filling it with excess sand, more so than what made up the Ichibi. As the upper portion continued to fill, the markings began to spread upward, bleeding across the entirety of the sand, looking disturbingly like one of Orochimaru's curse seals.

However, through it all, it wasn't until the sound of thunder punctured the air that Naruto's unease made the transition from uncertainty and confusion into gut-wrenching fear. Whatever it was that the Ichibi was up to it was succeeding, whether doing so was its intention or a byproduct of its actions, in fracturing the hourglass that held it captive. A single lightning-like crack spread ominously across the surface of the upper portion of glass.

Wasting no time in raising to his feet, Naruto began to rapidly backpedal, keeping his gaze focused squarely upon the creature as he began to flee. The ominous sound of further cracks renting the air serving as incentive, Naruto turned his full focus upon escaping, but was stopped before he could ever gain any true speed or about face. Shocked to feel someone behind, Naruto leapt away from their steadying grasp, putting some much desired distance between himself and the unknown. Spinning about before he ever landed, his hands automatically performing a handseal that anyone who knew his style of combat would be familiar with, but faltered as he took in the sight of the one before him. Landing unsteadily upon bent knee, the sound of the hourglass' further fracturing a distant distraction that failed to merit his attention, Naruto gazed disbelievingly at the man renowned the nations over as Konohagakure's Yellow Flash…

His father, Namikaze Minato.

"T-Tou-san?!"

"Come, Naruto," spoke Minato in what was a surprisingly soft voice. Unlike the power-exuding incarnation of his visage carved upon the Hokage Monument, the supposedly deceased Yondaime wore a sad, yet determined smile that succeeded in putting all of Naruto's fears to rest. "I have much to do and say, and far too little time to accomplish either." Without waiting for acknowledgement that he had been heard, Minato took off for the rapidly deteriorating hourglass off in the distance.

Naruto hesitated for only a fraction of a moment before he began to give chase, his gaze fixed almost devoutly upon his father's back. It took him less than a heartbeat to match the former Hokage's obviously slowed pace, his eyes flickering back and forth between the man all of the Elemental Nations believed to be dead and their destination.

"So you've been alive this whole time?" Naruto demanded after having regained some semblance of composure. Overjoyed to see his father, and personal hero well before he knew of their relation, in the flesh, it did little to ease the growing anger and sense of betrayal he felt the longer he was in the man's presence.

"How I wish I could say otherwise, but no… I'm afraid not," Minato answered morosely, sending an apologetic glance in his understandably confused son's direction. "I'm little more than an imprint born of the original Minato's chakra and life-force—a failsafe created with the intention of handling any complications that might arise with the Kyuubi's seal… and a way to say goodbye to a son I never had the chance to know… A very special clone, if you will."

"So you're not alive…" Naruto summarized dejectedly. Minato watched from out of the corner of his eye as the anger and the negative emotions of his son died away to be replaced with a melancholy few had ever witnessed upon the younger blonde's normally sunny features.

"Whether I'm alive or not in no way lessens the authenticity of my words or feelings." Staring fixedly at him until he was forced to meet and hold his gaze, Minato gave him a smile filled with the considerable pride he felt. "It's mine and your mother's greatest regret that we couldn't be there for you in the flesh all these years. It's been little consolation that we knew if you ever truly needed us we would be allowed a single encounter."

"Kaa-san?" Naruto hopefully repeated, looking about the far reaching dunes with an eagerness that was heartbreaking.

"Kushina's expertise wasn't required to repair the damage wrought by these two," Minato explained, sending a dismissive nod in the hourglass' direction. "She won't make an appearance unless a complication of this magnitude or greater ever occurs again."

Grim faced, Naruto nodded his disappointment without breaking stride. "So what's happening with me? Why is the Ichibi in my seal?"

"Beyond an educated guess, I'm unsure," Minato chuckled weakly, almost sending Naruto crashing headfirst into a muddy, sand dune. "However," he continued, regaining his son's attention, "whatever event took place felt uncomfortably similar to my Hirsiahin. Given the Ichibi's appearance and the way it's overpowered and is currently absorbing the Kyuubi into itself, I believe I know what's happened. Though before I come to any conclusions I need to properly exam the seal holding those two back."

Faster than he had expected, Naruto and his father arrived before the otherworldly prison. At this close of a proximity every minute crack to appear felt as if it would rupture their eardrums and jar the skeletons from their flesh. As it was, it was all Naruto could do to remain on his feet.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, he was left unsure as to what to expect next as Minato stepped forward, looking completely unfazed by the mind-numbing screams that were the breaks in the glass-prison forming, placing his bare palm upon the fissuring surface. Had his attention wavered from the older blond for even the briefest moment he would have missed the millisecond in which his cobalt-gaze dulled, becoming vacant and soulless.

Before Naruto could call out to him, the piercing, intelligent eyes Minato had been known for in life returned to their normal clear state, taking the teen aback by the abruptness of it all.

"That was enlightening," Minato weakly joked. Naruto silently noted how the man swayed unsteadily. A sure sign of chakra exhaustion and, given that he was little more than a glorified clone, an indicator the end was near.

"What hap-" Naruto began, only to be cut over by a rumbling that was much deeper than those previously. Following the ominous sound with his eyes, he could only stare on in amazement as little by little the glass began to repair itself.

"How?" Naruto asked, clearly impressed. "You barely touched it."

"For me, and me alone, far more time passed than you think." Absently patting the glass, which was knitting shut all the breaks at a gradually increasing pace, he turned to give Naruto a sad, exhausted look. "Not my finest work, but more than adequate to hold our insane friend, even with the power boost absorbing the Kyuubi will have left him with. It also confirmed my suspicions. We no longer reside in our home dimension."

Naruto looked to be about to speak, but fell into a contemplative silence. Even had he wished to, Minato would have been helpless to fight off the loving smile that appeared at seeing his son's confused expression. He really did share a strong resemblance to his mother.

"Huh?" Naruto asked eloquently, pulling his father from his pensive, bittersweet thoughts.

"Work I've never seen before, empowered by my and your mother's charka, it's all the proof I require… Instead of simply traveling back in time, you were transported to an alternate reality. One in which you possess the Ichibi instead of the Kyuubi, and where any number of additional anomalies could possibly exist." Nodding knowingly as comprehension dawned upon Naruto's whiskered features, Minato continued on with his explanation. "For all we know, the Konohagakure you reside in now could very well be under the rule of one of the other four nations. The opposite is just as possible, it would explain why the Ichibi is sealed in you and not a citizen of Suna."

"So that means all I know about the future is useless," Naruto growled, thinking he'd be helpless to stop the deaths he'd hoped to prevent.

"Not necessarily, no. While there will indeed be changes to what you know, it's my guess events will proceed more or less in the same manner, with only a few key alterations of note. That isn't to say the possibility of other major deviations from our dimension—such as you possessing the Ichibi—won't occur or become common place. You'll need to proceed from here on out with caution, never assume what was fact previously will be so this time around."

"So, prepare for what might be coming, but be ready for the unexpected?" Even to his own ears, Naruto's words shook with uncertainty the likes of which only Jiraiya had ever heard from him. Perhaps it was the accumulated weight of all that he'd experienced within the span of just a few short hours, or maybe it was having his father within actual reaching distance for the first time in living memory. Either way, Naruto felt uncharacteristically vulnerable and in need of reassurance that his lack of experience in familial bonds left him ill-prepared to seek out, even with one of the few people who doing so with should have come naturally.

"Any advice you want to share from one Hokage to the next?" Naruto gave a weak chuckle, attempting to distract himself from just how uncomfortable he felt.

"From a former Hokage to one whom I know to hold the potential to take the hat," Minato began, sounding strangely formal, "I'd suggest not making the same mistakes as Gaara. The power you now wield is indeed a devastating one, but there are plenty of shinobi out there that are as fast—if not faster—than Rock Lee, and many more smart and powerful enough to bypass his—_your_—ultimate defense. Take the time to learn a proper taijutsu style and how to wield a weapon or two. The unique way in which you view the world around you would be extremely beneficial when learning, and in utilizing, both battlefield tactics and fuinjutsu."

"Your mother and I have watched you since the day you were born. The potential you possess as a shinobi is truly frightening." Reaching forward, Minato lovingly ruffled his shaggy hair, sending a warmth through the younger blond that he had rarely felt in the past. "It's the potential you possess as a man, however, that brings us the most pride." Formal tone having gave way to something that could only be called loving and fatherly, pulling him into an embrace that said more than any words, Minato held him close to his chest as they both had always dreamt of.

"Though a word of advice from your mother—not me," he stressed uncomfortably, "don't make yourself too available." Minato looked apologetic even though the bewildered look Naruto wore made it clear he didn't understand what he was attempting to say. "While neither of us doubts your feelings for Haruno-san, begging for dates until you've degraded yourself or she has to physically assault you to get across she's not interested is unacceptable." It was clear from his tone that while the message might have been his mother's, Minato at least agreed.

"Believe me when I say, I know from personal experience: with the fairer sex actions speak louder than words." Here Minato sent him a mischievous wink that brought a watery chuckle bubbling to his lips. "When we first met—and well into our careers as chūnin—your kaa-chan thought I was little more than a cowardly, wimp who liked to stare at her more than she appreciated. Eventually, I was able to prove to her the extent of my feelings. After that every day spent with her was one in which I was blessed enough to be able to prove my love to her."

Naruto wrinkled his nose in disgust, giving Minato pause. "Really, tou-san? That's a little sick, don't you think? Talking about that in front of your son. For kami's sake, she's my mother!"

It took Minato only seconds to catch on to what he was referring to, aided by the foxlike smirk he wore. "Your mother was right, sensei was a bad influence on you," the elder blond admitted after having given a long, drawn out sigh that had sent Naruto into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Laugh it up, gaki. You just earned yourself another talk," he quickly shot back, bringing Naruto up short. "Sensei gave you a perverted rendition of the talk, one stirred more toward pleasuring a woman than teaching the mechanics behind it all."

All traces of humor dying away, a horrified Naruto began to shake his head, slowly putting distance between them. "W-why? I don't need the talk. I already know-"

"Know what?" Minato cut over him. "About sex? Yes, I'm aware. Your mother and I both know about the increasing number of trips you indulged in to red-light districts and the young ladies you _encountered_ during your trip with your godfather," Minato revealed, looking, in Naruto's eyes, as if he was enjoying his discomfort a little too much.

"Kaa-chan knows?" A suddenly pale Naruto asked quietly. The thought of all his mother and father, both of whom he now knew to have been watching over him every waking moment of his life, had seen him do—his poor grades, his behavior in general, even that one time with the henged clone… Naruto shuddered, feeling as if the Shinigami himself had just run a skeletal finger down his spine.

"Whose idea do you think it was that I should have a talk with you about respecting women?"

Ink Stained Sand

Disorienting.

It was the best—the only—way to describe the sudden shift in perspective.

One moment, an exhausted Naruto had been stumbling blindly through the sand caked labyrinth of the Ichibi's seal, searching fruitlessly for a path that would lead him back to consciousness. The next, he found himself staring up into concerned, cerulean eyes.

For the span of a single heartbeat, he had entertained the thought that Minato had once more defied his mortality to return to the land of the living. But as he took in the pure tenderness in their depths, allowing his gaze to drift from the twin pools of liquid sapphire to the whiskered visage they resided upon, the realization that the one crouched protectively over his prone form wasn't his father became exceeding apparent.

Many times in the past he had bore witness to the beauty that now hovered over him, more times than not, her modesty obscured only by a thin covering of smoke. Yet, even as her worried gaze frantically searched him for any sign of harm, her beauty shined through in a way her overly seductive counterpart never had. There was something so pleasantly natural and gentle about her that revealed just how childish the perverted jutsu that had turned so many powerful shinobi to quivering piles of lusting goo truly was.

Fighting down his rapidly rising guilt, he had, after all, exposed the beauty before him to numerous men over the years, he silently watched as a mask of uncertainty took up residence upon her lovely features. Looking unsure of herself, the henge, which Naruto seemed to instinctively realize wasn't a henge at all, hesitantly reached out to gently cup his face with her hands. Concern mixing with a loving look that gave birth to a light feeling in his gut that Naruto was unsure whether or not he liked, she broke the silence with a single word that would forever change his life.

"Otouto…"


End file.
